


Mistletoe Menace

by KnownAsEmrys



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Mistletoe, a little bit of jealousy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-11 04:13:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12927198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnownAsEmrys/pseuds/KnownAsEmrys
Summary: Merlin kisses Arthur under the mistletoe at a Christmas party, and Arthur finds himself hoping it means something more than it probably does because what else does one do when they're pathetically in love with their best friend?Or in which two idiots in love dance around their feelings and keep 'accidentally' ending up under mistletoe.





	Mistletoe Menace

**Author's Note:**

> Just another idea I had that I thought I'd share.
> 
> I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes I missed in editing!

Arthur grabs Merlin's arm and hauls him away from the thick of the party. 

"Can I help you?" Merlin asks once they're out of earshot. 

"You forgot to the send the Kingston files!" Arthur tells him irritatedly. 

Merlin's eyes widen. "Shit."

"My sentiments exactly," Arthur says, letting go of him.  

"I can run upstairs and try to overnight them?" Merlin suggests. 

Arthur nods. "And you better hurry before my father finds out. "

"Oh god. He already hates me enough." Merlin says. 

"The last thing he needs is a real reason to fire you," Arthur points out. 

Merlin nods because he knows Uther isn't above going over Arthur’s head. 

"Look!" Shouts a drunken Gwaine.

Both Arthur and Merlin turn to see everyone looking at them. 

Arthur frowns, confused as to why all eyes are on them until Merlin tugs on his sleeve and gestures upward with his eyes when he turns to look at him. It's then that he realises there's mistletoe hanging above them in the doorway. 

"Kiss!" Gwaine shouts. 

Arthur can't kiss Merlin - that's ridiculous - they're best friends, they don't do that. He turns to tell Gwaine as much, but he stops when he notices Merlin looking at him curiously, a question in his eyes. 

Arthur isn't aware of himself nodding until after he’s stopped and he notes the surprise in Merlin's eyes. 

_What am I doing?!_

"Kiss!" Gwaine shouts again _._

He doesn't expect Merlin to roll his eyes, step forward and kiss him firmly on the mouth, nor does he expect himself to close his eyes and adjust his angle. Merlin's kiss turns dominating as he adapts to this new angle and Arthur submits willingly, dimly aware of Gwaine's wolf whistling in the background. 

Merlin ends the kiss with a swipe of his tongue over Arthur's bottom lip, and Arthur finds himself trying to chase after him. It's a bit embarrassing really, and he hopes no one else notices. He forces himself to take a step back, hoping that will clear his head, but it doesn't, not after his eyes meet Merlin's. 

Merlin is looking at him, his eyes darker than normal as they flick briefly down at his lips, then up again to meet his gaze.  A part of Arthur wants Merlin to kiss him again, the part that makes him lick his lips in anticipation. 

Arthur's breath hitches when Merlin steps closer, as if he _knows_ what Arthur is thinking and _God_ isn't that _terrifying?_

"I better send those files," is all Merlin says before he's walking away. 

Arthur stares after him, and can't help but feel disappointed. 

 

* * *

 

 

Instead of working, Arthur catches himself staring out the glass walls of his office to watch Merlin at his desk just outside the door.  He curses under his breath and forces himself to look at his computer, but he can't seem to focus. 

Neither of them have mentioned the kiss, but it doesn't stop Arthur from constantly thinking of it, even three days later. 

Or how to make it happen again. 

He knows he could just bring up the kiss to Merlin and put out some feelers, but every time he had tried he had ended up chickening out. Arthur wasn't a coward by any means, but for some reason he couldn't seem to find the courage to just get the words out. 

It wasn't like his feelings for Merlin were a groundbreaking revelation or anything, he’d always known how he felt, but the kiss and the way Merlin had looked after, had made hope that he could _want_ _Arthur too_ flare in his chest. There had been little things over the years that had ignited this very same hope, though nothing felt as concrete as the kiss, even if it was somewhat coearced. 

Arthur knew how stubborn Merlin could be and he knew that if Merlin hadn't wanted to kiss him on some level, he would have told Gwaine to fuck off and just left. 

But he hadn't. 

That's where this damned hope really came from. 

"Arthur," Morgana says in a tone that tells him it wasn't the first time. 

He looks up from his computer to see his sister standing in the doorway. "Morgana."

"Did you forget about the meeting?" She asks, walking into the office and stopping in front of his desk. 

Arthur stares at her blankly, racking his brain for any recollection of a meeting until, "Cenred!" He jumps up and starts collecting everything he'll need. "Merlin!" He calls. 

Merlin appears a few seconds later. "Yes?"

"Why didn't you remind me I had a meeting?" Arthur asks, glaring at him. Well, trying to glare. He's still feeling a bit distracted. 

Merlin frowns. "I did. I told you earlier when I brought you your coffee."

"Coffee?" Arthur repeats, he looks down and sees the Princess mug Gwaine gave him next to his keyboard. 

He vaguely remembers Merlin coming into his office and talking to him. 

"Arthur, are you all right?" Merlin asks worriedly, coming to stand in front of Arthur and check his temperature with the back of his hand. 

"I'm fine," Arthur assures him, knocking his hand away.

Merlin doesn't look pleased. "Perhaps you should take an early lunch after your meeting?"

Arthur rolls his eyes. "If it will make _you_ feel better. Do you want to join me?"

Merlin grins. "Can we go to Lachie's?" 

Arthur feigns a put upon sigh. "All right."

"As much as I hate to disrupt this moment of domesticity," Morgana interjects,"we have a meeting to get to, so skip to the goodbye kiss and lets go." 

Merlin rolls his eyes, but Arthur flushes, acutely aware of how close they're standing. "You’re just jealous you weren't invited to lunch," Merlin says, turning to look at her. 

Morgana snorts. "As if. I wouldn't be able to keep my food down around you two."

"What’s _that_ supposed to mean?" Merlin asks, and he finally steps out of Arthur's personal space. 

Arthur grabs the last of what he needs as Morgana says, "You two are the most disgustingly cute, non-couple couple I've ever met. You might be as bad as Gwen and Lance were before he asked her out."

"Well I'm not about to ask Merlin out, so I guess you'll just never have lunch with us. What a shame," Arthur retorts, doing his best not to look at Merlin as he crosses the room. 

"Unless _Merlin_ asks _you_." Morgana points out. 

"Well, he's _not_ , and we have a meeting to get to," Arthur tells her, walking out of the room. 

Arthur barely hears Merlin mutter, "Well I _can't_ if you run away."

Arthur ignores the feelings the words stir in his chest, knowing Merlin probably doesn't mean anything by them. 

 

* * *

 

 

At Lachie's, Arthur sees some mistletoe hanging from one of the lights by the bar and he can't resist leading Merlin to stand under it as they wait for Percy to acknowledge them. 

"I'm going to be late getting home tonight," Merlin says. 

Arthur looks at him curiously. "Why?" 

"I'm hanging out with Lance." 

"I take it I'm not invited, then?" Arthur asks. 

Merlin shakes his head. "Lance said he needs to talk to me about something."

Arthur hums. "Well text me if you need a ride home." 

Merlin nods. 

A waitress, a standoffish girl named Vivian comes by and points out the mistletoe above them just as Percy finally comes round. 

Merlin looks up, then at Arthur and just shrugs, grabs Arthur’s face and gives him a chaste kiss before turning to greet Percy. 

It wasn't exactly the kind of kiss Arthur wanted, but it still makes his stomach flutter. 

They chat up Percy for a minute, then head to a booth after getting their pints and ordering their food. 

"Did you remember to tell your father you're coming home with me for Christmas?" Merlin asks as they sit down. 

"I was hoping Morgana would tell him when she arrived," Arthur says. 

"Coward," Merlin says. 

"Oi!" Arthur protests. "I was kidding. I'm going to call him later today." 

"Instead of going to the top floor and telling him yourself. Yes, you're the epitome of bravery," Merlin teases. 

Arthur kicks him under the table. 

"Oi! I could sue you for harassment!" Merlin exclaims.

Arthur snorts. "I'm sure if I buy you a hot chocolate or one of those pumpkin spice coffees you love so much you’d drop it in a heartbeat."

"It'll take more than that, Mr. Pendragon." Merlin informs, feigning an air of complete seriousness. 

"Fine, I'll throw in a muffin or two of your choosing," Arthur says. "Does that suit you?"

"Sounds like a fair deal to me, but I'll have to consult with my lawyers." Merlin breaks out into a grin as he says the last word. 

Arthur rolls his eyes fondly. 

_Idiot._

"So how was your meeting?" Merlin asks. 

Arthur sighs, then tells Merlin all about the disastrous meeting, and how they barely managed to keep Cenred from leaving, their food arriving midway through the tale. They chatter about random things as they eat, just enjoying each other's company and not worriying too much about getting back to the office on time. 

It's during a lull in the conversation that Arthur decides to ask the thing he's been putting off since he agreed to go to Ealdor. 

"Merlin," he says, "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind if we made a stop on the way to your mother's?"

Merlin tilts his head curiously. "A stop?"

"Yes." Arthur looks down at his empty plate. "I was hoping we could visit my mother."

A beat passes and then he feels Merlin grab his hand. "Of course we can, Arthur."

Arthur looks up and his chest fills with warmth at the soft expression on Merlin's face. 

"We can get her a present if you’d like?" Merlin suggests. "A teddy or fake flower or something."

Arthur smiles at him and nods. 

He doesn't know why he was ever afraid to ask, it was _Merlin_ after all. 

Arthur goes to the bathroom while Merlin goes to pay the bill and likely chat with Percy some more. When he reemerges from the bathroom he sees Mordred, an old friend of theirs standing next to Merlin. 

He watches Percy point out the mistletoe and Mordred look up at it, then at Merlin. 

Merlin shakes his head and pats Mordred on the arm, then they both start laughing.

Arthur feels relieved. 

He starts toward them and what he hears only confirms that Merlin _must w_ ant to kiss him on some level. 

"You’re on of my best mates, I can't kiss you," Merlin says. "That'd be weird."

Mordred smiles. "Probably yeah. As fit as you are, I don't think of you like that."

Arthur smiles to himself. It had to mean  _something_ , didn't it?

Arthur makes sure not to draw attention to himself until after they'd moved on to another topic, then he swoops in and reminds Merlin they have to get back to work. 

 

* * *

 

Arthur sees the mistletoe hanging in the doorway to the kitchen, and that's when the terribly pathetic idea pops into his head. They're at a Christmas party hosted by Gwen and Lance this time, one of the last they're to attend before they go spend Christmas with Merlin's mother in Ealdor. Arthur is a bit drunk, and it's likely the only excuse he'll have for this stupid plan if anyone figures him out. 

Arthur can see Merlin talking to Lance in the kitchen from where he sits in the armchair. All Arthur would have to do is get to the doorway, call him over, and chat with him until someone noticed them. 

Merlin would either kiss him again, or refuse like Arthur had expected him to the first time. 

Unfortunately, before Arthur could gather the courage to move, Merlin started leaving the kitchen at the same time Gwaine was entering and they bumped into each other. They laughed at themselves as they grabbed at each other to keep their balance. 

To Arthur’s dismay, Merlin notices the mistletoe and suddenly seems embarrassed by the way he's holding onto Gwaine, which makes Gwaine look up and see it too.  His gaze falls back down to meet Merlin's, a sly grin on his face as he says something only Merlin can hear. 

Merlin smiles back at him, then he's leaning in. 

Arthur watches as Merlin presses his lips to Gwaine's in a brief kiss, then kisses him again more firmly when Gwaine says something to him.

Jealousy burns through him, even though rationally he knows he has no right to it. 

"Oi!" Leon exclaims, drawing Arthur's attention to him. 

It's then that Arthur realizes he's broken the wine glass he was holding and gotten it's contents all over Leon. He blushes as he grabs a napkin from the coffee table and dabs at the wine soaking Leon's shirt. 

"Arthur, your hand!" Leon grabs Arthur's right hand, taking the napkin from him. 

Arthur sees little cuts on the back of his hand and one of his knuckles, but doesn't see why Leon is so concerned until his friend flips his hand and he sees the gash in the middle of his palm. 

It hurts, now that Arthur has noticed it, but it's not the worst injury he's ever had. 

Merlin appears in front of him, and immediately takes his hand to inspect it for himself. "Are you okay? What happened?" 

Arthur doesn't look at him, too embarrassed and looks to Leon instead. "I don't know. I guess I held it too tightly."

He regrets looking at Leon when it becomes clear he knows the truth - if the pitying look he's giving Arthur is anything to go by. 

"Oh, Arthur," Merlin sighs. 

Arthur looks at him with a sheepish grin. His face is burning and he really wishes the ground would swallow him up. 

"There's a first aid kit in the bathroom," Lancelot says as he steps into the room. 

Merlin's hand sildes to Arthur's wrist and he tugs on it insistently. "Come on, dollophead. Let's go patch you up."

Arthur stands and lets Merlin drag him to the bathroom, hyper aware that everyone is looking at him in concern. Once in the safety of the bathroom, Merlin instructs Arthur to sit on the toilet and gives him a rag and tells him to keep pressure on his hand. 

Arthur does as he's told, watching Merlin as he digs out the first aid kit from under the sink and sets it on the counter. Gwaine appears outside the doorway, but Merlin kicks the door shut before he can walk in. 

"That was rude of you," Arthur comments, just to break the silence. 

Merlin shrugs as he opens the first aid kit and starts getting what he needs. "You look about ready to cry. I figured you wouldn't want anyone to see you."

Arthur's lips twitch. "Thanks."

Merlin offers him a friendly smile. "Has the bleeding stopped yet?"

Arthur sneaks a glance at his hand and shakes his head, reapplying the pressure instantly. Merlin comes to a crouch in front of him, and puts both of Arthur’s hands in between his. 

"Does it hurt?" Merlin asks.

"A little," Arthur says, trying not to get lost in the intense blue eyes staring up at him.  

"How drunk are you?"

"Not very," Arthur admits. 

"We should probably go home after we get this cleaned up anyway," Merlin says. "I'm afraid I'll get too pissed to drive us home if we stay any longer and I doubt it'll feel nice to drive with your hand like this."

Arthur nods. He wasn't much in the mood for the party anymore. 

A few minutes pass by in silence, then Merlin takes his hands back and they check the wound. It's not bleeding anymore, so Merlin sets to cleaning it and the little cuts on the back of his hand before he begins wrapping it carefully. 

"I saw you kiss Gwaine," Arthur blurts, surprising both of them. 

Merlin blinks at him. "We were under the mistletoe," he says after a moment. 

"You didn't _have_ to kiss him though," Arthur says. 

"I know. I wanted to," Merlin tells him. 

"You wanted to kiss  _Gwaine?_ " Arthur asks. 

_I should shut up now. Right now in fact._

Merlin frowns. "What’s wrong with Gwaine?" 

"Nothing," Arthur forces himself to say, trying to think of a way out of this conversation. "I was just surprised is all."

Merlin's frown deepens. "Why? Gwaine's quite fit." 

"Well cos you - he's - I - " Arthur realizes he doesn't have anything to say and starts to panic when he sees Merlin start to put things together. 

"Are you _jealous_?" Merlin asks.

"No!" Arthur protests too quickly. 

"Oh my - is _that_ why you broke the wine glass?" Merlin prods. "Because I was kissing Gwaine?"

Arthur blushes. "Don't be ridiculous, Merlin. Why would _I_ care who you kiss?" 

Merlin is looking at him the way he does when he see right through him, but surprisingly, he doesn't call Arthur out on it and lets it be.

Merlin finishes wrapping his hand a few seconds later and after he's carefully taped the excess bandage, Arthur tries to take his hand back, but Merlin stops him. 

Merlin looks up at him through his lashes as he brings Arthur's hand up to his lips and presses a gentle kiss in between his knuckles.  

Arthur's heart stutters.

_What is he doing?_

Merlin pulls away and drops his hand. "Feel better?" Merlin questions in an odd tone. 

Arthur nods, not trusting his voice to come out steady. 

Merlin stands and goes back to the counter to put away the first aid kit. "Go tell Gwen we're leaving. I'll meet you at the car."

"Okay." Arthur says before he leaves. 

They don't mention this kiss again either. 

 

* * *

 

Merlin pouts. " _Please?"_ He asks sweetly. 

Arthur hates him and his stupid face and his stupid puppy eyes. 

"Fine," Arthur mutters, finally relenting a five minute argument.  

Merlin's face lights up and it makes the unfettered glee in Leon's eyes completely worth it.  

Arthur puts on the stupid reindeer antlers, and gets into the photo booth with Merlin who's sporting a Santa hat. Leon slides in on the other side of Merlin, wearing an elf hat, while Merlin pays for the photos. 

They're at the mall, helping Leon do some last minute Christmas shopping, and as soon as they had walked out of the last shop, Merlin had dragged them over to the photo booth that had hats hanging off the outside. Arthur had refused at first, thinking it was stupid, but Merlin kept insisting it would be fun and then of course he'd given Arthur that pathetic look and that innocent tone so of course he had caved.

Merlin sits back as the booth starts counting down and throws his arms over both Leon and Arthur’s shoulders, a big grin settling on his face. They go through a few different poses, and when Leon kisses Merlin's cheek for the last picture, Arthur uses that as an excuse to do the same. 

Merlin just laughs, loud and thoroughly amused. 

As soon as the machine starts printing the pictures, Arthur tries to leave so he can take off the stupid antlers, but Merlin holds him in place. 

He looks back at Merlin curiously. 

"I want to take some of just the two of us," Merlin tells him. 

Leon slips out of the booth, apparently unbothered by being excluded. 

Arthur lets out a put-upon sigh, but he knows he can't refuse Merlin's simple request. 

" _Okay_ , but I get to be Santa," Arthur tells him. 

Merlin grins and exchanges the Santa hat for the reindeer antlers without complaint. They both make ridiculous faces for the next set of pictures, but Merlin surprises Arthur by kissing his cheek, making him blush just in time for the last picture. 

"Leon!" Merlin calls through the curtain as the pictures start printing. 

Leon sticks his head through the curtain. "Yes, Dasher?"

Merlin chuckles. "Come take pictures with me." 

Leon slides into the booth, handing Arthur their first set of pictures then Merlin takes the hat off Arthur and ushers him out to get their pictures. 

Arthur rolls his eyes, but gets the pictures. He looks at the last one from his set with just Merlin, scowling when he realizes he's noticeably red. 

Merlin slips out of the the booth a minute later, then he takes the pictures from Arthur's hands while simultaneously pushing him in the booth. 

Leon grins and offers him a choice between the stupid reindeer antlers and the Santa hat. Arthur takes the Santa hat, and makes a face at the camera just as it takes a picture. 

_Honestly, the things I do for Merlin._

Merlin buys him a coffee after as a reward, but Arthur thinks it's more because Merlin wanted a hot chocolate than anything else. 

Arthur sees people taking pictures next to the giant Christmas tree at the center of the mall and isn't surprised when Merlin insists they all do the same. It's as they're all smiling for the camera on Merlin's phone that Arthur notices a couple kissing under the mistletoe hanging above them from a little archway set up not far from where they are. 

_I shouldn't._

And he doesn't, but then all he notices after is the other little set ups for couples to take picture under the mistletoe as they go from shop to shop. He almost leads Merlin under several of them, but he changes course last minute each time.

Though he can't quite stop himself from staring at Merlin's mouth, or thinking about the times they _have_ kissed. It's what leads him to do something stupid. 

 _God. I really am pathetic,_ he thinks after he 'accidentally' stumbles in the bookstore and grabs onto Merlin to catch his balance, effectively bringing Merlin under the lone mistletoe he spotted in the romance section. 

An older lady remarks about the mistletoe and how it must've been fate that caused Arthur to trip. He refuses to blush or look guilty. 

Merlin just says, "Must've been," then looks at Arthur for permission to kiss him. 

Arthur nods, then Merlin closes the short distance between them. 

The kiss is sweet and not just because Merlin tastes like hot chocolate, but because he cradles Arthur’s face in his hands and gently presses his lips against Arthur's. It's not as long as their first kiss or as short as their second, it's somewhere in between and it's perfect. 

When Merlin pulls away from Arthur he looks oddly amused. 

"What?" Arthur asks. 

Merlin shakes his head. "Nothing." 

Leon calls for them at the entrance, and Merlin heads towards him before Arthur can press further. 

 

* * *

 

"Funny, I don't remember buying any mistletoe," Leon says, startling Arthur so bad he almost falls off the ladder he's on. 

Arthur steadies himself and looks over his shoulder at Leon. "Oh, I uh," he clears his throat, "I found it with the rest of the decorations."

Leon raises a skeptical eyebrow at him. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Arthur lies. 

Leon stares at him expectantly, clearly not buying it. 

Arthur stares back stubbornly. 

Leon allows this battle of wills to go on for a full minute before he says, "If you want to kiss Merlin, you could just ask like a normal person." 

Arthur splutters. "That's - I'm not - I don't want to _kiss_ , _Mer_ lin."

 "Why? Do you think he's ugly or something?" Leon questions. 

"Well, no - "

Leon cuts him off. "So then why don't you want to kiss him?" 

"Because he - I - "Arthur feels flustered and doesn't know what to say so he caves. "When did you figure it out?"

Leon smirks. "Figure what out? That you're in love with Merlin? Or that you keep trying to get him under any mistletoe you see?" 

Arthur shifts uncomfortably. "Um, both?"

Though Arthur had suspected Leon knew he was in love with Merlin, he had never outright admitted it. 

 "Well I knew you were in love with him back in Uni after we won our first footie game and you picked him up and swung him around in a hug. You looked utterly besotted and I thought you were going to kiss him right then and there." Leon says.

"As for the mistletoe, I figured it out when we went to the mall yesterday and you kept trying to guide Merlin under any you saw. And of course, the fact that you offered to help me set up for the party tonight and I catch you hanging it when I know for a fact I've never bought any." 

"Oh." Arthur ignores the way his face burns as he turns back to the mistletoe.

"Yeah. _Oh_." Leon says. 

A beat passes in silence, then Arthur starts taking down the mistletoe. "This is stupid. I don't know what I was thinking.  I'm just going to throw this away."

"Arthur." Leon walks in front of him, an amused glint in his eyes. "Leave it."

Arthur pauses and looks at him curiously. 

"This may not be the most subtle plan of yours, but I'm not going to interfere," Leon says. 

"You’re not?" Arthur asks in surprise. 

Leon shakes his head. "If this plan of yours somehow ends with the two of you together, then it was completely worth letting you hang that up."

"I don't know if it will. I can't even say if Merlin returns my feelings or if he just doesn't mind kissing me. I mean, he kissed Gwaine too." Arthur says. 

"I remember. You broke a glass in a fit of jealousy," Leon says, confirming that he did indeed know what had happened at the party. "As for if he returns your feelings, I'm willing to bet he does, but the only way you'll find out is if you just admit your own." 

Arthur sighs. "You’re right."

Leon smirks. "Of course I am. Now, come help me set out the snacks."

Arthur leaves the mistletoe up and follows Leon to the kitchen. 

After the snacks are put out, Leon sends Arthur to put away the ladder and put the finishing touches in the living room. It doesn't take long so Arthur goes to the kitchen to help Leon with dinner where they end up talking about Merlin and feelings and everything Arthur had never mentioned before. 

It was nice to tell someone, especially someone as supportive as Leon. 

 

* * *

 

Leon ends up being the best wingman Arthur could ask for. 

Nearly an hour after the party has started, he tells Arthur to go stand in the doorway, then disappears without explanation. Two minutes pass, and then Merlin appears. 

"Leon says you need me to go with you to get more eggnog," Merlin says, though it sounds almost like a question. 

"Yeah, and uh - _sugar cookies_ \- Gwaine and Elyan appear to have eaten them all," Arthur says. It's a half truth. Gwaine and Elyan did eat all the cookies much to Lance's dismay. 

Merlin laughs. "Lance looked quite upset earlier when he saw they were all gone. Maybe we should get him his own tray?" 

Arthur grins. "That probably the only way he'll get any."

"Probably, "Merlin agrees. "Can we stop to get some hot chocolate?"

Arthur narrows his eyes at Merlin critcally. "How much of it did you already have today?"

"What’s that matter? You can never have too much hot chocolate," Merlin responds. 

"Somehow, I think _you_ can," Arthur remarks. 

Merlin rolls his eyes. "I only had a pumpkin spice latte today. I was too busy packing your bags for Ealdor."

"I already packed," Arthur says confused. 

"Not correctly," Merlin says. "Your clothes weren't thick enough and you packed your laptop. We said no working."

Leon pops up behind Merlin. "Sorry to interrupt, but can you two also get some more wine? "

Merlin glances at Leon over his shoulder. "Sure."

Arthur doesn't know how or why but the mistletoe slips lower and hits Merlin on top of the head just as he's turning to look back at Arthur.  

He blinks up at it. "Have we been standing under that this whole time?"

Arthur shrugs as if he didn't notice it. 

Merlin looks at him for a moment then asks, " _Well?_ Aren't you gonna kiss me?"

Arthur is surprised by the question. Merlin had initiated all of their kisses so far, and he hadn't expected this time to be different. 

Arthur steps forward so he's in Merlin's space.  He’s dimly aware of the others slowly noticing them, but he's too drawn in by the almost challenging glint in Merlin's eyes to care. 

His heart is hammering in his chest as he rests his hand on Merlin's cheek. He can feel tension building between them as he slowly starts to lean in. 

"Just kiss him already, Princess!" Gwaine shouts. 

And he does. 

A firm press of his lips that Merlin returns. He angles his head to deepen the kiss, wanting to make this one count as it might be his last. 

While he had been helping Leon with dinner, he had decided that it wasn't fair to either himself or Merlin to keep using mistletoe as an excuse to get a kiss from him. No. He was going to tell Merlin how he felt, and if Merlin rejected him then at least he would have the memory of this. 

He’s taken by surprise when one of Merlin's hands buries itself in his hair, and Merlin swipes his tongue intently at the seam of Arthur’s mouth. Arthur open his mouth, allowing Merlin to slip his tongue inside. 

Arthur's free hand comes up to grab the front of Merlin's shirt and pull him in closer as he licks into Merlin's mouth, loving the feel of their tongues sliding together. Merlin does too if the way he pushes Arthur against the wall is anything to go by. 

Arthur can't help the moan that escapes him as Merlin forces his legs apart by slotting his knee in between them. The grip Merlin has on his hair tightens a bit painfully, but Arthur can't find it in him to care. 

He's reluctant to pull away for air, but eventually he’s forced to and then they just stand there, panting, and staring into each others eyes. 

Lance coughs subtly, drawing their attention to their friends who are just gawking at them. Arthur blushes, and his only consolation is the red staining Merlin's cheeks too.

Gwen blurts, "I'm pregnant," way too loudly and Arthur is grateful for it when he sees everyone's attention snap to her. 

Merlin grabs his hand and quickly leads them out of the apartment while the others are distracted. They don’t speak until they're in Arthur’s car, and even then it's only Merlin telling him to go to the store a few blocks from Leon's apartment. 

Arthur thinks that this might be another kiss they never talk about as he starts the car, but then Merlin says, "I know about the mistletoe."

Arthur's heart stutters. "What?"

Merlin turns to look at him, but Arthur stares ahead at the wall of the parking garage. "I know that ever since we kissed at Lance and Gwen's that you've been staring at my mouth, and I know it can't be a coincidence how many times we've ended up under the mistletoe since."

Arthur doesn't think he's ever been this embarrassed before, his face is burning and his hands are gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turn white. 

_I'm such an idiot. Of course he figured me out!_

Merlin grabs his chin and forces Arthur too look at him, but he doesn't look angry like Arthur expected, he looks oddly shy. "Arthur, if you wanted to kiss me, you could've just asked."

Arthur scoffs. "Like it would be that easy."

Merlin quirks an eyebrow at him. "Well you've never asked so how would you know?" 

Arthur stares at him, studies him. 

Merlin stares back. 

"Can I kiss you, Merlin?" It comes out as a whisper. 

"Yes," Merlin whispers back. 

Arthur closes the distance between them, but hesitates just as his lips brush Merlin's. "Are you sure?"

"Arthur, if I didn't want you to kiss me I would've just ignored Gwaine that first time. I want to kiss you and I want you to kiss me t - "

Arthur kisses him, just a quick peck, then another, and another. He pulls away when Merlin chuckles. 

"Why not just kiss me properly?" Merlin asks, amused. 

"Because then we'd never leave the parking garage," Arthur says. 

Merlin grins and kisses his cheek. "Let's go get that eggnog Leon _totally_ needs."

Arthur doesn't blush, but only because he hasn't stopped since they were upstairs. "Yes. Let's."

Merlin puts on a radio station that's playing Christmas music, and Arthur has to refrain from rolling his eyes. He'd never been much of a Christmas person, but Merlin was which meant Arthur always had to endure the music, the ugly sweaters, the decorations, and the cheesy Christmas movies. 

Once at the store, Merlin takes Arthur’s hand in his and leads him through the store to get what they need. Arthur tries not to blush, and does fine until Merlin suddenly brings their hands up and kisses his knuckles. 

 _Bastard,_ he thinks when Merlin smirks.

They end up taking a little longer than they should because Merlin keeps stuffing things into the basket they don’t need for the party. Arthur pays for it all without complaint then they make a quick stop for Merlin's precious hot chocolate and finally head back to Leon's.

Merlin sorts through the bags to take up only what they need, then he retakes Arthur’s hand and they head back up. 

Merlin knocks on the door that had ended up getting locked at some point and Arthur can't help but openly stare. He's always found Merlin striking, but the happiness radiating from him now, the big grin, the light in his eyes is a whole nother level of captivating. 

"I'm in love with you," Arthur blurts, just as the front door swings open. 

Merlin's attention snaps to him, his grin widening impossibly. 

"Ah, so you've finally gotten that out of the way then?" Gwaine asks.

Arthur ducks his head in embarrassment. 

"Almost," Merlin says. 

"Good," Gwaine says. "Now hurry in with the eggnog, and come celebrate Gwen's good news."

They make a stop in the kitchen where Gwaine takes the eggnog, the wine and a tray of cookies out of the bags. When Arthur starts to follow him, Merlin stops him. 

"I didn't want to say this in front of that _rake_ ," Merlin says, crowding Arthur against the counter, "but I'm in love with you too."

He kisses Arthur - not too chastely or with the intent for it to lead to more - because they aren't alone,  and Arthur smiles into it. 

"What is taking you two so - Oh! Finally," Elena says. She walks off before they get a chance to say anything. 

Merlin chuckles. "You should probably go congratulate Gwen."

"Just me?" Arthur questions. 

Merlin shrugs. "I already knew. Lance told me."

Arthur feigns offense. "And you didn't tell _me_? I'm your _best_ friend!"

"I wasn't allowed," Merlin tells him, stepping away and taking Arthur’s hand again. 

Arthur knicks a tray of cookies from the counter that he hands to Lance as soon as they walk into the living room. He congratulates him and Gwen, managing not to blush when they congratulate him and Merlin for finally figuring things out. 

They still need to talk about what this thing between them will be, but Arthur’s confident Merlin wants the same thing he does and just smiles.

 

* * *

 

Arthur sets the small stuffed dragon at the bottom of his mother's headstone. "Merry Christmas, Mom," he says quietly. 

Merlin squeezes his hand, and Arthur returns it. "Merry Christmas, Ygraine." 

Arthur just stands there a for a bit, dwelling on how much he misses his mother, then he sits on the ground, tugging Merlin down next to him. He doesn't care about the snow or the way it melts under him, and Merlin doesn't mention it either.

He starts talking about all the things that have happened since the last time he was there a few months ago, and Merlin reminds him of the little things he forgets to mention. 

They stay there for half an hour, and Arthur leaves feeling lighter than when they arrived. 

 

* * *

 

Arthur ignores the smug grin Merlin gives him as he puts on the thick woolen sweater he'd scoffed at when Merlin said he'd need it. He had been to Ealdor many times, but Arthur never seemed to remember just how cold it was in the winter. 

"Ready?" Merlin asks. 

Arthur nods, and then they both get out of the car and make their way up the small pathway that leads up to the front door of Hunith's cozy little cottage. 

Merlin knocks, then takes Arthur's hand in his. 

Normally, Arthur is reassured by Merlin's touch, but this time it only serves to make him extremely nervous as they wait for Hunith to open the door. 

Hunith adores Arthur, he knows that for a fact, but now he's trying to date her son, and fears that might change. 

The door swings open and Hunith greets them with a warm smile and hugs them both tightly. "Oh, how I've missed you both," she says. 

She pulls back, and notices their entwined hands. "And it seems you've finally gotten yourselves sorted!"

Arthur blushes when she pinches his cheeks and adds, "I was beginning to think you were emotionally stunted, dear."

Merlin snorts and Arthur shoots him a glare. 

"Merlin," Hunith says,"why don't you take your things to your room while Arthur helps me in the kitchen?" 

Merlin frowns, clearly not happy he has to haul in everything from the car by himself, but he takes Arthur’s keys. Arthur smirks at him and Merlin sticks his tongue out at him as he walks off.

Hunith loops her arm through Arthur’s and drags him to the kitchen. She waits until he's set the kettle on the stove before bombarding him with questions in regards of his intentions towards Merlin and how they got together and when and why.

Suddenly, he feels like Merlin was the lucky one. 

He answers all her questions, and then she goes unnervingly quiet. 

Finally, she says, "You better not break his heart." 

"I won't," Arthur promises. 

Her stern expression is broken with a soft smile and she touches his face. "I was always hoping you two would get together. I don't think I could ask for a better son-in-law than you."

He doesn't point out that they're not married because it doesn't matter. He will always be Merlin's and he hopes Merlin will always be his. 

"Nor I for a better mother-in-law." Arthur tells her. 

Hunith kisses his cheek, then drops her hand as she asks, "How is your family doing?"

"They're well," Arthur says. "Father sends his regards and Morgana sent an actual present along."

"Oh, that sister of yours spoils me," Hunith says, then starts telling him all about the things Morgana has done for her over the past few months. Some things he's aware of, but others are completely new information. 

Merlin, who had been busy taking all their things upstairs finally emerges a bit later and takes the tea Arthur offers gratefully. "Did I miss anything?" He asks before he takes his first sip. 

Both Hunith and Arthur shake their heads. 

They all stand around the kitchen for a bit, just catching up until the doorbell rings and Hunith goes to answer it. 

"So I heard mum giving you the 'intentions' speech," Merlin says, seemingly amused. 

"It wasn't as bad as the one I think William is going to give me," Arthur tells him. 

Merlin laughs. "Probably not."

Hunith returns and asks them if they could help her finish decorating the living room. They finish their tea and go to help her after they've set their dishes in the sink. 

They work diligently and Merlin sings along to the Christmas music Hunith put on, occasionally nudging Arthur into singing along. It's hard to be annoyed by it when Merlin looks so happy. 

At some point, Hunith leaves to go help a neighbor bake gingerbread cookies as she had promised earlier and then it's just the two of them left to finish up. 

"What’s _this?_ " Merlin asks, catching Arthur’s attention. 

Arthur looks above Merlin's head and sees mistletoe. 

"That wasn't me," Arthur says immediately. 

Merlin smiles at him. "I know. It was me."

"Oh." Arthur smiles back. 

"If _only_ I had some bloke to kiss," Merlin says wistfully. 

Arthur looks back at the tinsel he was hanging. "If only," he agrees. 

"Preferably a fit one with long brown hair and a rakish quality about him," Merlin says. 

Arthur frowns.

"He’s quite a nice kisser if I remember correctly," Merlin adds. 

Arthur lets go of the tinsel and stalks over to Merlin who's got a mischievous glint in his eyes and a matching smirk that Arthur is determined to kiss away. 

And he does. 

Merlin stares at him, breathless, when he finally pulls away. 

"Still prefer that bloke with the brown hair?" Arthur challenges. 

"Who?" Merlin asks before he kisses him again, his arms wrapping around Arthur’s waist to pull him flush against him. 

They don't hear the front door open, but they do hear Will say, "Finally settled for this one then, eh Merlin?"

Their eyes open and they turn, in sync, to look at him.

Merlin pulls away a bit and flips Will off for the both of them. 

Will snorts. "Whatever mate. I need your help bringing in the presents I brought."

"I'll be there in a minute," Merlin tells him. 

Will rolls his eyes, but leaves them. 

"You’re not going to make your boyfriend go out in the cold, are you?" Arthur asks. 

"Oh, you'll be _fine_ ," Merlin says, nodding to the sweater on the couch. 

Arthur sighs and goes over to slip on the sweater he'd taken off when he was hanging the stockings above the fireplace. Merlin pulls Arthur into another quick kiss as he rejoins him in the doorway before he takes his hand and leads him outside.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas! 
> 
> Please let me know what you thought of this!


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